K takes a small set of marks, all on consonants. Latvian uses the cedilla ķ for a soft, palatal "k"; Skolt Sámi and some transliteration use the caron ǩ; and several West African languages, along with the phonetic alphabet, use the hooked Ƙ for an ejective "k". None appear in English or the big Western European languages. Tap any character below to copy it.
01 Step by step, per platform
A real, followable procedure for every platform, not a thin restatement of the shortcut.
On Windows
- For any other form, press Win + . to open the emoji & symbol panel, switch to the Symbols tab and search the accent name.
- Or type the code from the table below into Microsoft Word and press Alt + X, for example 01E8 then Alt+X gives Ǩ.
On Mac
- Open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search the accent name, for example the letter followed by the accent.
- To type these often, add the ABC – Extended input source in Keyboard settings and use its accent dead keys before the letter.
Microsoft Word & Google Docs
- In Word, type the four-character code then press Alt + X, for example 01E8 then Alt+X becomes Ǩ.
- Or use Insert → Symbol → More Symbols and pick the letter from the Latin subset.
- In Google Docs, use Insert → Special characters and search latin k, or draw the accent in the sketch box.
On phones (iOS & Android)
- On the on-screen keyboard, press and hold the K key. A popup of accented options appears, such as ǩ ķ ƙ, slide to the one you want and release.
- For a form that is not on the popup, copy it from the keys above and paste it where you need it.
02 Characters in this set
03 Codes for every accented form
Unicode point, HTML entity and the Windows shortcut for each form. Codes shown as Alt 0nnn are typed on the numeric keypad; codes shown as hhhh Alt+X are typed in Microsoft Word, then converted with Alt+X.
| Character | Accent | Unicode | HTML | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ǩ | Caron · capital | U+01E8 |
Ǩ |
01E8 Alt+X |
|
| Ķ | Cedilla · capital | U+0136 |
Ķ |
0136 Alt+X |
|
| ǩ | Caron · small | U+01E9 |
ǩ |
01E9 Alt+X |
|
| ķ | Cedilla · small | U+0137 |
ķ |
0137 Alt+X |
|
| Ƙ | Hook · capital | U+0198 |
Ƙ |
0198 Alt+X |
|
| ƙ | Hook · small | U+0199 |
ƙ |
0199 Alt+X |
04 Troubleshooting & confusables
| Looks like it | But it's actually | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ķ vs k | Cedilla-K vs plain k | The Latvian ķ has a comma-shaped cedilla under it and marks a palatal "k". It is a separate letter, not a decorated k. |
| ķ vs ĸ | Cedilla-K vs kra | ķ is the Latvian cedilla-K; ĸ ("kra") is a historical letter once used in Greenlandic. They are different characters despite the family resemblance. |
| Ƙ vs K | Hooked K vs plain K | Ƙ (K with hook) is a phonetic and African-orthography letter for an ejective "k". It is not a stylistic K. |
05 FAQ
How do I type ķ (Latvian K)?
ķ has no Windows Alt code. In Microsoft Word type 0137 and press Alt+X, or open the Mac Character Viewer and search "k with cedilla". The Latvian keyboard layout has it on a dedicated key.
What language uses ķ?
The cedilla-K (ķ/Ķ) is a letter of the Latvian alphabet, marking a soft, palatal "k" sound. Latvian uses the same comma-below mark on ģ, ļ and ņ.
What is Ƙ (K with a hook)?
Ƙ stands for an ejective or hooked "k" sound in the International Phonetic Alphabet and in several West African orthographies such as Hausa. It is not used in European languages.
How do I type the caron-K ǩ?
Type 01E9 in Microsoft Word and press Alt+X, or copy it from the keys above. It appears mainly in Skolt Sámi and in some transliteration systems.
Is there an Alt code for accented K?
No accented K falls in the Latin-1 range, so there is no Alt+0 code. Use Word's Alt+X with the code from the table above, or copy the letter directly.